Excessive Foods Like This ‘Fries. Taco. Burrito.’ Are Plaguing The Restaurant Industry
In today’s episode of “Headassery Headlines,” we’ve got something called the ‘Fries. Taco. Burrito’ or ‘F.T.B.’ for short. Found at Cali Tacos in Orange County, California, and actually a local Mexican food joint that some of the Foodbeast team frequents from time to time.
So, when we saw this INSIDER food video on the so called ‘F.T.B.’, our genuine reaction was “W.T.F.?” I mean, Foodbeast covers its fair share of wildly flagrant content (we’re aware), and it’s not like we have a beef with the folks at INSIDER or anything, but this menu item is completely on some half-assed shit, to be real. And to be quite frank, we place some of the blame on ourselves because we’re one of the ones who help proliferate such a movement.
Foodbeast and other food industry publications are in some ways responsible for the glorified monstrosities that restaurants create because we put the pressure on them to do so. Not directly of course, but in the way that we share content. And thats where we get the farcical freakshakes, preposterousness of this slice of pizza, and this absurd F.T.B.
Whether or not this is the case here, there are restaurants like Cali Tacos (who were the proprietors behind the F.T.B.) that feel like they are pressured to add secret menu items, one-offs, and ridiculous, damn near inedible Instagram-worthy food in order to draw a larger following and create more foot traffic.
If anything, we’re questioning the functionality of the F.T.B. Its unreasonable portion is dubious, and a wonder if any of those individuals in the video can actually wrestle it into submission.
For one thing, isn’t this just a California Burrito on some wild Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson level of swole? Yes, Cali Tacos is known for their hefty portions, so I’m sure this helping is probably at most, two of their burritos. In any case, you could absolutely just order their fantastic Angel Burrito (California Burrito with shrimp, surf & turf style) if you plan to eat a huge portion on your own. In my honest opinion, it’s more delicious anyway.
You know how we Californians are snobbish about our Mexican food. That “Taco Style” way of consuming a burrito is unheard of in any respect. It just reinforces my point about its impracticality. IT IS MERELY A BURRITO THAT ISN’T FULLY WRAPPED. “Fork Style”— fine. That’s been cool since Albertaco’s was the only taqueria runnin’ the streets.
I’m not trying to throw shade at Cali Tacos by any means because they’re my go-to burrito spot in the OC. For the most part, they’ve been A-1 without all these gimmicks. However, the F.T.B. is problematic because it continues to follow a format that gives little benefit to you as a restaurant and patrons that order it strictly for its size. How many of us will actually go after their leftovers?
Look, I get it, restaurants can make whatever they want in hopes to create more organic traffic, but just making a massive, excessive version of a pre-existing menu shouldn’t be all that newsworthy.
Yet, here I am reporting on its ridiculousness. Go figure.
